Spring Fever
by Watercolor-Dragon
Summary: Tatsumi's formality is legendary, but spring fever gets to us all! TatsxWat
1. spring fever

Yeah me! My journal article is done and now I can write some TatXWat! 

This is a direct result of being stuck indoors during nice weather. 

The usual disclaimers apply, plus warnings for a possibly OOC Tatsumi and an oblivious Watari! Enjoy!

p.s. Anyone going to Yaoi-con?

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Italics – thoughts

Spring Fever

Tatsumi was standing behind Watari's chair with one hand resting lightly on the back as the younger shinigami typed on the computer. The two men had recently come back from a case and they were finishing up the required paperwork before moving on to other things. As Watari's fingers tapped rapidly at the keys, his observer's thoughts began to wander. Tatsumi was daydreaming again. 

__

Dammit, focus Seiichiro! Keep your mind on the task at hand! You are not a child to be easily distracted.

Somehow his inner voice was not keeping him on the straight and narrow today. He blamed it on spring. Even though the trees bloomed in Meifu year round, the weather changed with the seasons. He knew he wasn't the only one in the office having trouble concentrating. Tsusuki had come in that morning covered in cherry blossoms with a big bunch of flowers, which he promptly dumped in a blushing Hisoka's lap. Even the taciturn Terezuma had been talked into a picnic lunch twice this week by Wakaba-chan.

__

You are not them. You should not be distracted by spring.

Tatsumi sighed and bent his head over his partner's shoulder to point out some minor correction in his typing. Watari nodded an acknowledgment and his fingers started flying again. The older gaurdian smiled slightly as he watched the blonde. In truth it wasn't only spring's fault that Tatsumi Seiichiro, Meifu's stoic secretary was distracted. The man hunched over the keyboard in front of him was equally to blame. 

__

"Watari really has such graceful hands." 

A blush crept across Tatsumi's face as he considered better things for Watari's hands to be doing.

__

"It is official, Seiichiro, you are going mad. First daydreaming, second daydreaming about Watari. You need to go home and have a shower, a cold shower."

"….so I think that if we end it here there won't be too many questions…."

Watari swung around in his chair and quirked an amused eyebrow at the older man. Tatsumi was leaning against Watari's desk staring out the window with a far off expression on his face. He had uncharacteristically removed his suit jacket and loosened his tie.

__

"Tatsumi Seiichiro without a jacket on….no one would believe it!" Watari chuckled and made his way over to the window. He placed one hand on his hip and the other across Tatsumi's forehead. 

The sudden contact made the secretary jump slightly. His eyes focused on the scientist and his face reddened as he realized he had been caught daydreaming.

"Are you feeling alright, Tatsumi," the blonde teased. "Your face is awfully red, maybe you have a fever?"

"I am perfectly fine, Watari-san, are you finished with the report?" 

"Yes of course! I have been finished for ages, but you looked so content there by the window I didn't want to bother you." Watari lied easily. He enjoyed tormenting the kagetsukai immensely and it wasn't often that he had a good excuse.

Tatsumi brushed the scientist's hand away, but not before his unruly mind registered its softness. Another blush marked his face and he turned away to hide from Watari's keen stare.

"Very well," Tatsumi straightened his tie and shrugged into his jacket. "Please leave a copy on my desk by the end of the day. If you'll excuse me I have a meeting this afternoon." The return to formality helped to sooth the secretary's frazzled nerves. He hoped he would be able to remain focused on work for the rest of the day.

Watari sketched a short salute and turned back toward the computer. 

"Oh you mean the meeting with Kachoe about the new funding source? I'll be there too! I can give you your copy then!"

Watari didn't hear the soft groan escape from Tatsumi's lips as he closed the lab door.

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It is going to be a very long day.

O.K. I am not sure where this is going. One-shot? More? I guess we'll see. I hope poor Tatsumi wasn't too OOC!


	2. the meeting

OK, I decided to write another chapter. I think there will probably be at least one more after this. Enjoy!

The Meeting

Tatsumi kicked open the door to his office and threw himself into his chair. He released the paperwork he was carrying into an untidy pile on his desk and rested his head on the back of the chair. Running one hand through his hair he removed his glasses with the other.

_"That meeting was a disaster. If it had gone on much longer, I'm not sure what would have happened."_

The secretary stood up and rolled his shoulders to ease some of the tension. Then he walked over to the window and pressed his forehead to the glass. The pane felt cool against his skin. Still, his mind kept returning to what Tatsumi would refer to in later years as the funding meeting from hell.

It started well enough. The employees from the Exorcism department, two men and one woman, seemed pleasant and everyone had arrived promptly at 1:00. Even Watari had managed to show up on time. True, he just barely made it and he was carrying a cherry popsicle in one hand, but Tatsumi found it increasingly difficult to get truly irritated with the scientist. No, he had decided to place the majority of his anger where it rightly belonged.

With the popsicle.

Kanoe started the meeting by explaining that the exorcism division had been running on a budget surplus for the last few years. So in exchange for Watari's help with necessary computer upgrades part of the surplus would be shifted to the Shokan division. The meeting was primarily to hammer out the details of the exchange. 

Watari seated himself next to Tatsumi and immediately struck up a conversation with the young man seated across from him. In the space of a few minutes the scientist had found out his new friend's name and that he was the tech person for his division, amongst other things. The young man seemed flattered by the attention and smiled warmly at Watari who was using his popsicle to emphasize some obscure technical reference he was making. 

Tatsumi leaned his head on one palm and watched as Watari alternated between licking the popsicle and gesturing with it. The blonde's new friend seemed equally entranced by this juggling act and Tatsumi suddenly had to fight down a small stab of jealousy.

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"Oh no, not this again. I definitely need to have my head examined. I am not going to start behaving like a possessive husband. He is free to make friends with anyone he likes. Still, that boy seems awfully young."

The shadow-master shook his head to clear his thoughts and turned his chair to listen as Kanoe started the meeting.

That's when the popsicle began its reign of evil.

Watari ended his conversation with the young techie and turned to give his full attention to the meeting. His popsicle, meanwhile had started to melt, slowly trickling red juice down the stick and onto the scientist's hand. The blonde unconsciously began to lick the drips away with long, slow movements of his tongue. For Tatsumi, the meeting went steadily downhill from there. 

It became excruciatingly difficult to pay attention to anything except Watari and his popsicle. Once the scientist had eliminated the drips on his hand he applied himself to the rest of the icee with obvious pleasure. At one point the entire thing disappeared into Watari's mouth. Tatsumi could feel his body temperature rising and the young man across the table was staring in open lust. The other occupants of the room had also begun to notice something amiss. The only people unconscious of the situation were Kanoe, who had his back to the room, and Watari himself. The blonde had his head cocked to one side and was rapidly taking notes while still managing to perform obscene acts on the frozen treat in his hand. This was probably the one time in his life he was wholeheartedly paying attention in a meeting and he was the only one.

Tatsumi decided enough was enough. It was time to remove the evil sweet before nearly everyone in the room, himself included, attacked the oblivious Watari Yutaka. The secretary reached into the center of the table for the decanter of water and extracted his handkerchief from the front pocket of his suit. Silently he turned Watari's chair until the scientist looked up questioningly, the offending popsicle still in his mouth. Tatsumi grasped the treat by the stick and placed it in a cup in front of him. He then proceeded to wet his handkerchief with the decanter and used it to remove the sticky remnants from his partner's face. Watari pouted briefly at the loss of his sweet but made no further protest. The young man across the table however, looked as though his favorite dog had died and Tatsumi was directly responsible. The other man straightened his tie and wiped his face with a napkin before suddenly finding Kanoe's lecture fascinating listening. The woman kept switching her gaze from Tatsumi and Watari to her coworker, a happy smile on her face. She made no move to stop observing the action.

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"Like a cat with a bowl of cream," Tatsumi shrugged his shoulders, "_whatever makes you happy, I guess."_

He finished wiping Watari's face just as Kanoe turned from the view screen with his customary, "Any Questions?"

Everyone in the room looked down at their folders, busily trying to look as though they hadn't spent the last hour ogling Watari and his demon popsicle.

Tatsumi cleared his throat; "Perhaps after they have had a chance to absorb all the information and peruse the folders in front of them they could forward any questions to our office on Monday. After all, it is getting late and I'm sure our colleagues would like to be heading home." To accentuate his point Tatsumi stood and adjusted his jacket, pulling Watari up in the same move.

"Ah, yes, of course, Monday would be fine." Kanoe smiled gratefully. He really didn't want to answer any questions anyway. Tatsumi was always so much better with that aspect of meetings.

Handshakes were exchanged, and the young tech was ushered out of the office by his superior with forlorn look on his face.

_"Better luck next time kid."_

Tatsumi sighed as a knock to his office door brought him out of his reverie. Yes, it had been a meeting straight from hell. Still, the things Watari could do with a popsicle were amazing to say the least.

A flurry of golden hair and long legs bounded into the office just then. Watari had a serious look on his face as he extended one slender finger and began poking Tatsumi in the chest with it. 

"You aren't feeling well, don't deny it! You have been flushed and distracted all day. Kanoe says you have to go home and get some rest. No arguments! Go!" The blonde punctuated each word with a sharp poke to Tatsumi's breastbone not knowing the effect his hands had been having on his friend all day.

"Very well, Watari-san. If it will get you to stop poking me I will gladly go home."

Watari raised one eyebrow skeptically. This was too easy.

"No sneaking back after we're gone! I'll come by your house later to check on you and if you aren't in bed….."

"NO!" Watari looked up at the outburst. "I mean, I promise that I'll stay at home there is no need for you to check up on me Watari-san."

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"I want you far away from me so I can regain my sanity!"

The secretary gently turned Watari around by the shoulders and directed him towards the door. Murmuring threats and get well wishes the scientist made his way down the hall. 

Tatsumi closed the door to his office and exhaled a breath he hadn't remembered holding.

__

"Finally, this day is over."

Meanwhile down the hall in the lab, Wateri was gathering every cold medication he could find in preparation for making his poor, sick partner well again.


	3. Remedy for Spring Fever

Hello again!  Sorry for making you all wait but I moved to my summer job in lovely Florida this weekend so I was a little busy.  Thanks for all the reviews.  I'm trying not to become too big-headed to fit through my door!    J Enjoy!

Wc-d

Remedy for Spring Fever

Steam rolled out into the hall as the bathroom door finally opened.  Tatsumi had followed his cold shower with a nice, long soak in a hot tub.  He had stayed in until his thoughts had become clearer and his fingers were pruney.  As he made his way down the hall to his bedroom he rubbed at his wet hair with a towel.

_"I knew all I needed was a bath and a little time to myself.  I am sure that all of today's nonsense will not be repeated tomorrow."_

After donning faded blue jeans and a light blue linen shirt he made his way into the living room to open his mail and read the paper.  Since he was technically only slightly near-sighted he left his glasses on the hall table for work the next day.  

The sun had gone down and the evening sky through the picture window in his living room was just beginning to fill with stars.  Tatsumi eased himself onto his sofa and let out a long sigh.

_"Finally, a quiet evening at home."___

The peaceful atmosphere was quickly interrupted by the doorbell, and then knocking, and then pounding.

"**What in Enma's name is the problem!!!"**

A thoroughly pissed shadow-master flung the door to his house open and glared into the startled face of one Watari Yutaka.

"Oh, heh heh, I was just about to teleport in.  I thought maybe you had passed out from your fever and needed immediate attention!  But……Hey!  You seem to be doing much better!  You know you should leave your hair forward like that more often.  I thought so when we were at the Kurosaki place…..what's wrong?  You look weird."

Watari managed to maneuver past Tatsumi and into the house during this speech.  The older man was standing with one hand on the door and an expression hovering between horror and resignation on his face.

"Watari-san, what are you doing here?  I told you I would be fine."

"Yes, you did, but I knew you wouldn't admit it even if you were dying again.  So I came anyway."  Watari turned to his friend with a look of genuine concern in his amber eyes.  He moved to reach past Tatsumi and close the door.  Then he turned to place one hand across the other guardian's forehead.  "See, you are still warm.  I brought some medicine that will fix you right up!"

Watari tilted his head to one side and regarded the vacant look on his partner's face.

"You should sit down Tatsumi.  You look .."

"I know.  I look weird.  You said that already.  Perhaps I am sick after all.  You should go.  I wouldn't want you to catch it, Watari-san.  Just leave the medicine on the table on your way out."  The older guardian edged away from his friend until he was as far away as the tiny entryway allowed.  The scientist appeared not to notice the escape attempt.

"No Way!  I'm not leaving until I see you medicated and in bed.  You'll probably try to work or something.  I'll just go in the kitchen and fix you some tea.  The medicine tastes pretty bad but I brought some honey too!" 

With a happy smile the blonde made his way into the kitchen as Tatsumi sank back onto his couch, head slowly dropping into his hands.

_"It is official, I am doomed.  If he doesn't leave now.  Right now….."_

A crashing sound emanating from the kitchen brought his head up.  A frown creased his features as Watari's voice drifted over the clatter.

"Oops!  That pan was slippery!  Don't worry!  Nothing broke!  Just relax."

_"Slim chance of that I'd say, Watari.__  At least you don't have a popsicle.  That may be the only thing that saves you from my recent dip in the waters of lake crazy.  Still, I can't have you wrecking my kitchen."_

Squaring his shoulders and giving himself a mental shake, the kagetsukai slowly made his way into the kitchen.  He moved around the corner just as Watari was opening a plastic bottle of honey.  The paper blocking the opening was giving him a little trouble and he had gripped the bottle firmly in one hand while prying at the paper with the other.  He readjusted his grip just as the paper decided to come free of the bottle.  Honey oozed out over the top and onto one slender hand.  The scientist made a disgusted noise and reached for the dish towel hanging over the sink.

Tatsumi was quicker.

The sight of the blonde's hand, which had been taunting him for most of the week, covered in sticky, sweet honey, caused the older man to completely lose it.

He covered the short distance in one bound and grabbed the offending hand in both of his.    Watari looked up in surprise expecting to hear his friend yelling about messes in his kitchen.  Instead, he was fixed with an unfocused azure gaze.  Tatsumi seemed to be in some kind of daze as he lifted Watari's hand to his lips and began licking away the drips. 

The younger man's eyes grew larger and he tried to pull away, confused and a little embarrassed.  However, the grip on his hand tightened and he gave up after a moment.

"_Tatsumi__ is sicker than I thought.  He can't realize what he's doing.  Ooooooh, hey, that feels kind of good……"_

By this time Tatsumi had finished with the outside of the hand and had switched to the fingers.  He slowly rotated Watari's wrist until it was palm up.  He started with the index finger and with slow movements of his tongue he removed all traces of honey until he was at the fingertip.  As the blonde's eyes registered shock, one finger disappeared into Tatsumi's mouth followed by a second.  Eyes partially closed, Tatsumi repeated Watari's exploits with the popsicle on the scientist.

By the time Tatsumi reached his wrist, Watari had given up pretending he wanted to escape.  His knees became weak and he slid down the cabinet until he was on the kitchen floor in a heap.  Tatsumi had followed him down, dropping to his knees in front of the blonde while still keeping a firm grip on the younger man's hand.  Watari's head tilted back and his eyes closed half way, a silly grin spreading across his face as he watched his partner.

Tatsumi meanwhile had made his way to his friend's wrist.  A few traces of honey had escaped earlier attention and the older man gently licked them away.  Watari fully expected the fun to end after the honey was gone but Tatsumi was too far gone to realize.  He continued to lick his way up the blondes arm until he met the folded sleeve of the scientist's shirt.  His eyes slipped back into focus and attached themselves to Watari's face.  A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he leaned in.

"_Oh!  He's going to kiss me!  Should I let him?  He'll be mad when he comes to, though."_

Tatsumi leaned closer and Watari closed his eyes.  He opened them a second later as his friend began kissing his throat.  The older guardian's quest for honey wasn't finished just yet.  Tatsumi had finally released his grip on Watari's hand and the blonde knew he should stand up and take control before his colleague did something he'd regret, but his will power dissolved as Tatsumi planted soft kisses from his ear down to the hollow of his throat.   He put his tongue back to work and made his way up Watari's neck to his chin.  Only then did he capture the scientist's mouth in a long thorough kiss.  Watari brought his hands up to grasp the fabric of Tatsumi's shirt, pulling him down until they were lying on the floor.  Strong hands worked their way through long, blonde hair as Tatsumi broke the kiss to continue his search for honey.  The secretary brought his hands down and started to work the buttons of Watari's shirt free.  The blonde brought his own hands up to do the same for Tatsumi, moving slowly, afraid to break whatever spell the kagetsukai was under.  Watari's shirt opened first and Tatsumi pushed it back from his shoulders and began kissing them, moving his hands up under the fabric across the younger man's back.  Watari arched into the touch, ripping the last button free from Tatsumi's shirt.  He moved his hands around his partner's waist pulling him closer.  The scientist ran one hand up Tatsumi's chest and around his neck to plunge into the chestnut hair.   He tightened his grip and directed Tatsumi's mouth to his own once again.  As the two men broke for air Watari opened his eyes to look at his partner.  He found Tatsumi looking back at him, wonder in eyes darkened by passion.  The older man pushed back, placing his hands on the floor on either side of Watari's head.  He leaned his head down until it was resting on the blonde's shoulder.  Watari took the opportunity to curl his leg around behind Tatsumi's thigh bringing their lower bodies closer together.  It took him a moment to realize that his partner was whispering something.

"……hands….and that boy ….damn popsicle…..and then honey…..sorry….couldn't stand it….don't hate me."

"Tatsumi, what are you saying?  What boy?  Why would I hate you?"

His words startled Tatsumi out of his trance-like state.  The secretary pushed himself to his knees and sat back suddenly.  His eyes widened and one hand coming up over his mouth as he took in Watari's disheveled appearance.  The blonde was leaning up on one elbow questioningly, hair tousled over one shoulder and his shirt pooled around his elbows.  Watari sat up and ran his hand through his hair.  He got on his knees and moved toward Tatsumi, who scooted backwards until he came up against the refrigerator.  Legs bent, the kagetsukai tried to hide his head between his knees bringing his hands up to hide his face.     

Watari carefully edged closer to his friend.  Every movement painfully slow, like a hunter stalking elusive quarry.  He reached Tatsumi's bent legs and placed one hand on each knee.  He pressed down until Tatsumi's legs were straight in front of him and the older man was forced to bring his hands down from his face.  Watari crawled closer and settled himself in Tatsumi's lap.  He put one hand under his partner's chin and lifted it until they were eye to eye.  Tatsumi tried to free himself but this time it was Watari's grip that would not weaken.

"Tatsumi, do you value my friendship?"

The secretary tried to vocalize his answer but Watari's fingers on his lips stopped the sound.

"Just shake your head.  If you try to speak, you'll just say something you don't mean to save face.  Now answer."

Tatsumi's head shook deliberately in the affirmative.

"Good.  Now, I know what you are thinking.  You are worried that I might take this the wrong way, be angry, or expect something from you that you aren't ready to give.  I won't you know."  Watari smiled warmly as Tatsumi tried to protest.  "I like you Tatsumi Seiichiro and I liked what we were just doing, did you?"

Again, the older man paused before silently assenting.

"Well then, we can figure the rest out later.  Shall we continue?"  Watari's eyes sparkled mischievously, "Or do you need more honey?"

The blonde removed his fingers from Tatsumi's mouth and wriggled into a more comfortable position in his partner's lap.  He placed his hands on Tatsumi's chest and leaned in to run his tongue across the other man's bottom lip.  The secretary smiled and slid one arm around Watari's waist. He leaned in and kissed the scientist thoroughly, his other hand gripping Watari's chin.  When he was released, Watari shook his head and peaked out coyly from behind a curtain of long, fair hair.

"What were you saying about my hands?"

"Ah, yes..Well your hands seem to be having a strange effect on me Watari-s…"  He was cut off as Watari's fingers were again pressed to his lips.

"You have just been doing terribly naughty things to my person Tatsumi.  I think we can drop the honorific don't you?"

Tatsumi shifted the smaller man off of his lap and stood up.  He then turned and lifted the scientist easily over one shoulder.

Watari meanwhile had just put the pieces of this little puzzle together.  He laughed as Tatsumi carried him through the house towards the bedroom.

"Do you mean I have been tossing my hair and batting my eyes all this time and it was my hands you were interested in?"

"Yes."  He was then unceremoniously dumped onto the bed.  Tatsumi reached over to remove Watari's glasses and place them on the night stand.  When he joined the blonde on the bed he finished removing his shirt and pulled him close, moving his hands in lazy circles across Watari's back.  The younger man arched to bring him into closer contact and let out a sigh of contentment.  

"Watari?"

"Hmmmm?"

"I want your hands on me."

Watari smiled, worked Tatsumi out of his shirt, and ran his hands up the well muscled chest and over his partner's shoulders.

"Request granted."

Later that evening Tatsumi was awakened from a sound sleep by the telephone.

"Hello?"

"No, I'm feeling quite alright.  I'll be in on Monday to field questions from the meeting."  He listened intently while the caller spoke, giving no indication that a slender hand was making its way up his body to rest on his chest.  Long, golden hair spilled across the pillow beside him as Watari mumbled in his sleep.

"Just a slight fever.  It's been…..taken care of."

"Yes, Thank you for your concern."

"good-bye."

Tatsumi hung up the phone and slid back under the covers.  He brought Watari's head up to rest under his chin and ran his fingers through the soft hair.  Then he covered the sleeping scientist's hand with his own and closed his eyes.  

It occurred to him that he didn't feel guilty.  Hadn't he taken advantage of his friend?  In the past, waking up with someone like this, he'd felt ashamed, weak.  His desire had gotten the better of him again, and yet he felt……happy.  Exhausted, but happy.  He looked down into Watari's peaceful face and had one more thought before he returned to sleep.

"_Maybe spring isn't so bad after all."_   

Yeah!  Sorry for all of you expecting something with a little more citrus action but I can't seem to do it.  The words won't flow.  Maybe next time.  This is definitely smuttier than anything I've written before.  A few notes:

-Tatsumi has his hair less tamed after he is attacked by the scary centipede lady in vol. 11 of the manga.  It's super sexy. ;)

-I think I spell Seiichiro differently every time I write so sorry, big time.

-finally, I actually had this little accident with a bottle of honey recently unfortunately there was no beautiful blue eyed man to lick it off for me. Boo hoo.

Watari got his wish.  Tatsumi (not medicated) but in bed!


End file.
